164 THE RETURN TO FRA^IHEIM 



whether our reckoning was in order. The beacon was 

 somewhat damaged by sunshine and storms, but we 

 found the paper left in it, which told us that this beacon 

 was erected on November 14, in 84° 26' S. It also 

 told us what course to steer by compass to reach the 

 next beacon, which lay five kilometres from this one. 



As we were leaving this old friend and setting our 

 course as it advised, to our unspeakable astonishment two 

 great birds — skua gulls — suddenly came flying straight 

 towards us. They circled round us once or twice and 

 then settled on the beacon. Can anyone who reads 

 these lines form an idea of the efi'ect tliis had upon us? 

 It is hardly likely. They brought us a message from 

 the living world into this realm of death — a message 

 of all that was dear to us. I think the same thoughts 

 filled us all. They did not allow themselves a long 

 rest, these first messengers from another world; they 

 sat still a while, no doubt wondering who we were, 

 then rose aloft and flew on to the south. JSIysterious 

 creatures! they were now exactly half-way between 

 Framheim and the Pole, and yet they were going 

 farther inland. Were they going over to the other 

 side? 



Our march ended this time at one of our beacons, 

 in 84° 15'. It felt so good and safe to lie beside one of 

 these; it always gave us a sure starting-point for the 

 following stage. We were up at 4 a.m. and left the 

 place a few hours later, with the result that the day's 



